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Today is February 22 2015

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   I.
Today's Holidays and Historical Events (updated daily)
Today's Food Holiday

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day: More

Other celebrations/observances today:
  • 87th Academy Awards: More
  • Daytona 500: More
  • World Thinking Day: More
    Girl Scouts and Girl Guides fund raiser and badge.
  • Be Humble Day: More
  • Walking the Dog Day: More
  • Founders’ Day: More
    Birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, born in 1857, and is considered to be the founder of Scouting.
    At Wikipedia: More
  • George Washington’s Birthday: More
  • National Healthy Lifestyles Day: More
    In South Africa.
  • National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (US): More
    First day of an awareness week 22-27.
Events in the past on: February 22
  • In 1819, By the Adams–Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for five million U.S. dollars.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, also known as the Transcontinental Treaty, the Florida Purchase Treaty, or the Florida Treaty, was a treaty between the United States and Spain in 1819 that ceded Florida to the U.S. and defined the boundary between the U.S. and New Spain. It settled a standing border dispute between the two countries and was considered a triumph of American diplomacy. It came in the midst of increasing tensions related to Spain's territorial boundaries in North America vs. the United States and Great Britain in the aftermath of the American Revolution; and also during the Latin American Wars of Independence Florida had become a burden to Spain, which could not afford to send settlers or garrisons. Madrid decided to cede the territory to the United States through the Adams–Onís Treaty in exchange for settling the boundary dispute along the Sabine River in Spanish Texas. The treaty established the boundary of U.S. territory and claims through the Rocky Mountains and west to the Pacific Ocean, in exchange for the U.S. paying residents' claims against the Spanish government up to a total of $5,000,000 and relinquishing the US claims on parts of Spanish Texas west of the Sabine River and other Spanish areas, under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1879, Frank Woolworth opens the first Woolworth store in Utica, New York - the company would become Foot Locker in 2001.
    From Wikipedia: 'The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as Woolworth's, or Woolworth) was a retail company and one of the original pioneers of the five-and-dime store. It was arguably the most successful American and international five-and-dime, setting trends and creating the modern retail model which stores follow worldwide today.

    The first Woolworth store was opened by Frank Winfield Woolworth on February 22, 1878, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store" in Utica, New York. Though it initially appeared to be successful, the store soon failed. Searching for a new location, a friend suggested Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Using the sign from the Utica store, Frank opened his first successful "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store" on July 18, 1879, in Lancaster. Frank brought his brother, Charles Sumner Woolworth, into the business.' 'Despite growing to be one of the largest retail chains in the world through most of the 20th century, increased competition led to its decline beginning in the 1980s. The chain went out of business in July 1997, when the company decided to focus on the Foot Locker division and renamed itself Venator Group. By 2001, the company focused exclusively on the sporting goods market, changing its name to the present Foot Locker, Inc.'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
    - On YouTube (Top 10 failures): More
  • In 1912, J. Vedrines makes the first airplane flight over 100 mph-161.29 kph.
    From Wikipedia: 'Jules Charles Toussaint Védrines (1881–1919) was an early French aviator, notable for being the first pilot to fly at more than 100 mph and for winning the Gordon Bennett Trophy race in 1912.'
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1989, At the 31st Grammy Awards, Don't Worry Be Happy, wins Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Bobby McFerrin).
    From Wikipedia: '"Don't Worry, Be Happy" is a song by musician Bobby McFerrin. Released in September 1988, it became the first acappella song to reach number one son the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a position it held for two weeks. The song's title is taken from a famous quotation by Meher Baba. The "instruments" in the acappella song are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin, using no instruments at all; McFerrin also sings with an affected accent. The comedic original music video for the song stars McFerrin, Robin Williams, and Bill Irwin, and is considerably shorter than the album version'.
    More
    On YouTube: More
  • In 1991, George H. W. Bush and US Gulf War allies give Iraq 24 hours to begin Kuwait withdrawal. This was the beginning of the final assault on Iraq, and near the ending of Operation Desert Storm (6 days later).
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1995, The Corona reconnaissance satellite program, in existence from 1959 to 1972, is declassified.
    From Wikipedia: 'The Corona program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency Directorate of Science and Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force. The Corona satellites were used for photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union (USSR), the People's Republic of China, and other areas beginning in June 1959 and ending in May 1972. The name of this program is sometimes seen as "CORONA", but its actual name "Corona" was a codeword, not an acronym'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  • In 1997, In Roslin, Scotland, scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned.
    From Wikipedia: 'Dolly (5 July 1996 – 14 February 2003) was a female domestic sheep, and the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer. She was cloned by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute, part of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the biotechnology company PPL Therapeutics, based near Edinburgh. The funding for Dolly's cloning was provided by PPL Therapeutics and the Ministry of Agriculture. She was born on 5 July 1996 and died from a progressive lung disease 5 months before her seventh birthday. She has been called "the world's most famous sheep" by sources including BBC News and Scientific American'.
    More
    - On YouTube: More
  II.
Henry's Heads Up! - previous days social media post (updated daily)

Tomorrow's food holiday will be 'National Cook a Sweet Potato Day'.
[The Hankster says] They are good for you and can be fixed many ways. My favorite is to bake one, split it and put on butter and pour on mapel syrup.

Tomorrow is the '87th Academy Awards'.
[The Hankster says] I find that I agree more with the People's Choice Awards.

Tomorrow will be the 'Daytona 500'.

You can have your own small race tomorrow. It will be 'Walking the Dog Day'.
[The Hankster says] As I go on my walks. I see more situations where the dog is walking the human.

Tomorrow is 'World Thinking Day'. Girl Scouts and Girl Guides fund raiser and badge. A time for girls of many organizations to think of one another in their varying lives and situations.

Take time tomorrow to observe 'Be Humble Day'.
[The Hankster says] Query: If you must make time to be humble, are you? I think I will just try to be a little less obnoxious.

Another scout related day tomorrow. It will be 'Founders’ Day'. Birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, born in 1857, and is considered to be the founder of Scouting.

We have another birthday boy tomorrow. It will be 'George Washington’s Birthday'.
[The Hankster says] I'm glad we have already had Cherry Pie Day, before Georgie and his little hatchet got to work.

An awareness day tomorrow. In South Africa it will be 'National Healthy Lifestyles Day'.

A second awareness day in the U.S. will be 'National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. First day of an awareness week 22-27.

Thomas Merton once said 'We have what we seek, it is there all the time, and if we give it time, it will make itself known to us.'
[The Hankster says] That is why we spend so much time in the past, on this post. Let us see what will be made known to us, as we look at February 22 in the past.

In 1879, Frank Woolworth opens the first Woolworth store in Utica, New York - the company would become Foot Locker in 2001.

In 1912, J. Vedrines makes the first airplane flight over 100 mph-161.29 kph.

In 1989 - At the 31st Grammy Awards, Don't Worry Be Happy, wins Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Bobby McFerrin).

In 1991, George H. W. Bush and US Gulf War allies give Iraq 24 hours to begin Kuwait withdrawal. This was the beginning of the final assault on Iraq, and near the ending of Operation Desert Storm (6 days later).

In 1997, In Roslin, Scotland, scientists announce that an adult sheep named Dolly has been successfully cloned.

 III.
Top Song & Movie 50 years ago today

No. 1 song

  • You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers: More
    'Downtown' has been displaced by 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'', which will hold the no. 1 spot until February 27 1965, when 'This Diamond Ring', takes over.

Top movie

  • My Fair Lady, (returns) More
    Having displaced '36 Hours', it will be there until the weekend box office of February 27, 1965 when, 'The Greatest Story Ever Told', takes over.
  IV.
Today in the Past (reference sites): February 22
   V.
This month February 2015 (updated once a month - last updated - February 1 2015)

Food Holiday:
Berry Fresh Month Canned Food Month Celebration of Chocolate Month Great American Pie Month National Cherry Month National Grapefruit Month National Fiber Focus Month National Fondue Month National Hot Breakfast Month National Snack Food Month Potato Lover’s Month Sweet Potato Month Other:
American Heart Month An Affair to Remember Month Black History Month Creative Romance Month National Children’s Dental Health Month National Heart Healthy Month National Weddings Month


February is:

February origin (from Wikipedia):
'The Roman month Februarius was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 (full moon) in the old lunar Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 713 BC. February remained the last month of the calendar year until the time of the decemvirs (c. 450 BC), when it became the second month. At certain intervals February was truncated to 23 or 24 days, and a 27-day intercalary month, Intercalaris, was inserted immediately after February to realign the year with the seasons. Under the reforms that instituted the Julian calendar, Intercalaris was abolished, leap years occurred regularly every fourth year, and in leap years February gained a 29th day. Thereafter, it remained the second month of the calendar year, meaning the order that months are displayed (January, February, March, ..., December) within a year-at-a-glance calendar. Even during the Middle Ages, when the numbered Anno Domini year began on March 25 or December 25, the second month was February whenever all twelve months were displayed in order. The Gregorian calendar reforms made slight changes to the system for determining which years were leap years and thus contained a 29-day February.'

February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days. The month has 28 days in common years or 29 days in leap years.
February is the third month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third month of summer (the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere, in meteorological reckoning).

February at Wikipedia: More

  VI.
TV fifty years ago 1965 (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

If you couldn't afford 90 cents for a movie ticket, 50 years ago, or your 45 RPM record player was broke, you might watch one of these shows on TV.
From this Wikipedia article: More

 VII.
Best selling books fifty years ago (updated yearly - last updated Jan. 1 2015)

Best selling books of 1965 More

VIII.
Fun (Last link added October 1 2014, but content on each site may change daily)
  • Astronomy Picture of the Day: More
  • NOAA: - National Hurricane Center - Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: More
  • Listen to Old Radio Shows: (streaming mp3 with schedule) More
  • NASA TV: (video feed) More
    NASA TV schedule: More
  • Public Domain eBook Links

    Sites for downloading or reading free Public Domain eBooks. Available in various formats. More

  • Podcast: A Moment of Science. Approximately 1 minute general science facts.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: The Naked Scientists. Current science, medicine, space and other science
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Podcast: Quirks & Quarks. Current science news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Articles and videos: Universe Today. Current space and astronomy news.
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  • Old Picture of the Day - "Each day we bring you one stunning little glimpse of history in the form of a historical photograph."
    Home page: More
    RSS: More
  IX.
Other Holiday Sites (Last link added October 1 2014. Link content changes yearly)

Below, are listed several holiday sites that I reference in addition to other holiday researches.


US Government Holidays

  • 2015 Postal Holidays More
  • 2015 Official Federal Holidays More

Holidays Worldwide

  • List of holidays by country More
  • Holidays and Observances around the World More
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